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Athletics

Athletics is a very popular sport, alongside Tennis and Rounders, throughout the school in the summer term.

Large numbers of girls represent school teams in fixtures across senior, intermediate and junior levels. In addition to school matches, Dame Alice Harpur School competes in District and County competitions and this season two girls qualified to represent Bedfordshire at the English Schools Championship in Gateshead.

Over 80 girls attend training each week at the Bedford International Stadium, home track of Paula Radcliffe. Additional coaching is provided in pole vault and other technical events by highly qualified coaches, who themselves compete at a very high level.

Sports Day is held towards the end of the Summer Term and is the highlight of the season often providing new school records year on year. The Junior School also have their own Sports Day held both on the Senior School playing field and in the grounds of the Junior School.

In 2006, Jill Rush took a new school Year 9 high jump record clearing 1m45. Lucy James and Lizzie Wright were invited to represent Bedford Town in the County Athletics Competition and the National English Schools Competition.

London 2012 is just five years away and what a mouth-watering prospect it is for so many of our young people. Athletics will be the Blue Ribbon of those Games and in Lucy James and Elizabeth Wright, Dame Alice has two wonderful athletes with the potential to wear an England vest. Lucy ran her fastest ever 200m when she competed in the English Schools Track & Field championships in Gateshead. She clocked 25.9secs, which gives her a place in the UK rankings as well as a qualification for the 2007 English Schools for the Under 17 Intermediate girls 200m. This fantastic achievement was followed up by a stunning 300m PB of 41.5secs ranking her at No 1 in the Eastern Region. Elizabeth's PB stands at 41.1 and both girls were an inspiration to the Senior athletics team.